Summary
The Ladies Gridiron League (LGL) is an Australian-based non-for-profit company running a full contact, 7-a-side, women's American football league. It was created in March 2012 with an overall aim of developing American football upon Australian shores. It is an exclusively run, invite only competition with a focus on professionalism, athleticism and fun. The league aim is “to create a fun and competitive environment that supports the development of females in sport and raises the awareness of Gridiron in Australia. The LGL aims to establish a female Gridiron community that has the ability to mentor people in need, promote fairness, teamwork and respect.”[2]
 | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| First season | 2014 |
| CEO | Brett Chambers (as of 2014) |
| Director | Christian Ganaban[1] |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Countries |  Australia |
| Most titles | West Coast Angels |
| TV partner(s) | Aurora |
| Official website | http://www.ladiesgridiron.com/ |
Background edit
In its initial stages the LGL was formed with the plan of becoming a feeder league to the previous Legends Football League (LFL) upon its commencement in Australia that year. Before the start of the 2013/14 LFL season, the agreement formed between the leagues was not honoured by the LFL which in turn led the LGL to cut all ties and form as an entirely new league of its own.
In 2014, the Ladies Gridiron League (LGL) officially began with the intention of bringing American Football to the forefront of Women's Sport in Australia. At the request of the players a new uniform was adopted (from the previous LFL 'uniform'), which saw the women in bike pants and sports crop tops as opposed to skimpy lingerie, allowing larger focus on the players sporting talent over a scantily clad attire. Player terms and conditions were also updated ensuring all women became insured during their time with the league and compensated for any related costs.
Current Teams edit
- Current Ladies Gridiron League teams
| Team | Stadium | City | Joined | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladies Gridiron League | |||||
| Adelaide Phoenix | City Mazda Stadium | Adelaide | 2015–16 | ||
| Brisbane Blaze | Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre | Brisbane | 2015–16 | ||
| Canberra Mustangs | Viking Park | Canberra | 2015–16 | ||
| Melbourne Maidens | To be confirmed | Melbourne | 2016–17 | ||
| Sydney Sirens | Leichhardt Oval | Sydney | 2016–17 | ||
| West Coast Angels | nib Stadium | Perth | 2015–16 | ||
The Ladies Gridiron League was put into hibernation by Director Christian Ganaban whilst a suitable buyer for the broadcast games and league was pursued. Viva Sports as the LGL's largest creditor assumed control of the LGL in 2017 keeping Christian Ganaban in charge of future operations. Christian is currently working with Vince McMahon's XFL 2020 with a view to relaunch a new incarnation of the league.
LGL Grand Final Results edit
| Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Venue | City | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGL Grand Final I | West Coast Angels | 36-28 | Adelaide Phoenix | City Mazda Stadium | Richmond, South Australia | Saturday, 27 February 2016 | [3] |
Tri Nations series edit
The Ladies Gridiron League have played and aired a teaser Tri Nations series similar to the Rugby League Tri-Nations and Tri Nations (rugby union) with teams Team Australia, Team New Zealand and Team USA. The LGL was the first women's tackle football league to run an international tri nations competition in Australia. The games were held in Melbourne with New Zealand winning the overall competition, USA second and Australia third.[4][5]
The Tri Nations series and 2013–14 LGL season of Ladies Gridiron League aired on Aurora Community Channel[6] and Web series called Gridiron Girl is available on Vimeo.[7]
LGL Tri Nations series Grand Final Results edit
| Game | Winner | Score | Loser | Venue | City | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGL Tri Nations series Grand Final I | New Zealand | 24–14 | United States | State Netball and Hockey Centre | Parkville, Victoria | Friday 5 Dec 2014 | [8][9] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Herbertson, Lisa (2 October 2014). "All undressed and nowhere to play". dailytelegraph. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "About". Ladies Gridiron League Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- ^ "LGL Exclusive: West Coast Angels WINS the first ever Ladies Gridiron League Grand Finals". The Crunch Magazine. 3 March 2016.
- ^ Team (13 November 2015). "Ladies Gridiron League | Where The Players Play". Ladiesgridiron.com. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Women go into battle for the Gridiron tri-nations cup". News. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
- ^ "Timeline Photos - Ladies Gridiron League (LGL)". Facebook. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Gridiron Girl TV". Gridiron Girl TV. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "New Zealand Show Warrior Spirit as they Raise the First Ever Tri-Nations Cup | Ladies Gridiron League". www.ladiesgridiron.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Ladies Gridiron League's Tri-Nation Series". 14 December 2014.
External links edit
- Official website [dead link]